South Africa is well known for beautiful landscapes, wineries, and fantastic access to wildlife seen nowhere else in the world. Whether you’re going on safari, visiting the beaches, doing business, or planning other sightseeing, plan for your trip in advance. You’ll want to pack the essentials like your passport, appropriate clothing, electrical adapters, sunscreen, and your camera.

Citizens of most countries don’t need a visa for stays shorter than 30 or 90 days.

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Obtain a yellow fever vaccination or certificate of vaccination. If you’re traveling to a yellow fever zone, you'll need to be vaccinated first. The vaccine must be done at least 10 days before departing for South Africa. Also get inoculated for Hepatitis A and typhoid. Consider taking malaria medicine if you plan to spend a lot of time outside, including on safari.[1]

Ask your doctor if you might be at risk for other diseases common to travelers, like Hepatitis A and rabies.

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Fill your prescriptions. Take care of getting adequate amounts of any medicines you’ll need. Also pick up over-the-counter medication you take regularly. Don’t count on being able to get equivalent medication while in South Africa.

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Pack your debit and credit cards. Call your bank to let them know the dates when you’ll be traveling and where, so they don’t put a hold on your credit or debit cards if you try to use them. Consider getting a Unique Rand Card, which is a prepaid debit card for travelers that lets you avoid fees for converting your currency like you would with your debit or credit card. Alternatively, you can get a more generic travel money card.[2]

Avoid getting traveler’s checks, because most businesses in South Africa don’t accept them.

Ask your bank about any additional fees for using your debit and credit cards in a foreign country.

Use the Unique Rand Card or other travel money debit card to protect yourself from debit and credit card fraud. These are a safe option because they aren’t linked to your financial institution and accounts at home.

Part 2

Packing Your Clothes

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Plan for summer weather between November and March. Bring loose, cool clothes for the summer, when temperatures generally reach 86°-104° Fahrenheit (30°-40° Celsius). Consider bringing a light jacket, sweater, or shawl for evenings, when the weather can cool down. Pack rain gear or an umbrella, especially if you’ll be in the Gauteng or North West province, where there are summer rains and thunderstorms.[3]

Pack sweaters, a jackets, and rain gear for the winter, when temperatures can go down to about 40° Fahrenheit (4.44° Celsius).

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Bring light, neutral-colored clothing if you’ll be on safari. Avoid bright colors that can scare animals away and dark colors that can attract insects. Make sure this clothing will be comfortable for trekking and extended periods of travel in the bush. Plan to dress in layers so you can adapt to temperatures throughout the day and be sure you have long sleeves and long pants to deter insects.[4]

Also bring toilet paper and hand sanitizer if you need to use the bushes for the toilet.

Pack a flashlight or headlamp for camp in the evenings.

Put everything in a soft-sided bag or duffel.

Don’t pack a lot of clothing. Bring laundry detergent or arrange for laundry so you can keep packing to a minimum.

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Be prepared for other activities. Bring a swimsuit and cover up for the beaches. If you plan to go to clubs, shows, or up-scale restaurants, bring more dressy clothes. For business, bring your regular business attire and shoes.[5]

Otherwise pack casual clothing.

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Pack good walking shoes. You’ll need these for safari, other hiking, and sightseeing in cities. Take your flip flops for the beach. Bring dressier shoes for more up-scale venues because you can’t wear flip flops or athletic shoes to those venues.

Part 3

Bringing Other Items

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Prepare for the hot, African sun. Bring a sun hat -- this is essential on safari. Also pack your sunglasses to protect your eyes. Find a good sunscreen of at least 30 SPF and rest assured that you can pick up more throughout the country.[6]

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Get an electrical adapter. Buy an adapter or two that will safely convert South Africa’s 220/230 volts AC 50 HZ electricity for your electronic devices. Get an adapter that will fit the plugs in South Africa, which are typically 15 amp 3-prong or 5 amp 2-prong, with round pins. Don’t forget your camera and battery charger when you’re packing your electronics.[7]

Pack items that will entertain and keep you comfortable on your flight. Getting to South Africa requires a long flight from just about anywhere except other countries in Southern Africa. Bring lots to entertain yourself on the flight, including electronics, books, and magazines.

Consider bringing compression socks to make your flight more comfortable.

Take other items like a travel pillow, tissues, lotion, earplugs, snacks, and an eye mask to help you feel more comfortable on the long flight.[8]